Katharine McPhee Extends in Waitress

Katharine McPhee, who is currently making her Broadway debut in the hit musical Waitress, will be returning to the stage when her current engagement ends on June 17. McPhee will take a small hiatus from the production, coming back for a second shift from July 5 – August 19. TV star Erich Bergen will join McPhee from June 5 – August 12, taking over the role of Dr. Pomatter.

Currently starring in the CBS television series Scorpion, Katharine McPhee has had an eclectic career as both an actress and a singer. She has had numerous songs and albums on Billboard’s pop, jazz, holiday, and adult-contemporary charts. Her latest album of timeless American standards “I Fall in Love Too Easily” was released by BMG in 2017. She took audiences by storm with the 2013 NBC-TV musical series, Smash about the making of a Broadway musical. Katharine has long dreamed of appearing on Broadway, and wishes to thank her friends, family, and especially her fellow Waitress cast members for this life-changing opportunity.

Featuring a score by Grammy and Tony-nominated composer Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson, Waitress was nominated for the 2016 Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical is adapted from the 2007 film of the same name with a screenplay by Adrienne Shelly. The musical opened at Broadway’s Brooks Atkinson Theatre in April of 2017 with director Diane Paulus (Pippin, Hair) at the helm and Chase Brock providing the choreography.

“Waitress tells the story of Jenna, an expert pie maker in a small town, who dreams of a way out of her loveless marriage with her husband Earl. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s new physician, Dr. Pomatter, may offer her a chance at a new life, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes to happiness. But Jenna must find the courage and strength within herself to rebuild her life. This new American musical celebrates friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie.”

Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals and maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.